Barcelona Uno

Wow. Barcelona. What an amazing city. Yes, tapas, art, parks, whimsical architecture, but so much more!

We couldn't bear the thought of being on our own at Christmas, stuck in our townhouse, so we jumped at the chance to visit Spain. This time of year is a little cold for a strictly beach holiday, so we decided on Barcelona in hopes of some "city delights". The first thing Ben noticed when we stepped outside the airport was the palm trees. He ran across the street to touch one.

Once we got settled in our apartment (more about that later), we took a stroll down La Rambla, the main pedestrian thoroughfare in downtown Barcelona. This street bustles with tourists, artists, human statues, fortune-tellers, dancers and musicians. Here is La Boqueria market:

Along with these rabbits, the market had incredible seafood.

 

Barcelona (the Catalan locals pronounce it "Barth-e-lona") is laid back, yet it has a lively, colourful street-life.

                               

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In our budget travels, we don't do lunch in many fancy restaurants.

      But the boys wanted to eat at a fancier place, "just for once", so we did. Paella was on the menu.

Many of Barcelona's architectural treasures were designed by Antoni Gaudi. We learned a lot about Moderisme, Spain's version of Art Nouveau. Gaudi's Sangrada Familia was the highlight. Is it possible for a place to feel whimsical and sacred at the same time? Of course. This did. Frommer's guide says, "At first glance, it seems as though a careless giant has dripped melting wax over a Gothic cathedral." True! The walls have this crazy wobbly, holey look like coral or eroded rock. But look more closely and you see meticulous detail, all of which fits into a master design. The spires are topped with clusters of fruit, and giant stone lizards crawl along the face, It seems that Gaudi wanted to build a cathedral which celebrates nature in all its glorious multiplicity and variety, and the artist behind it all -- the God of creation. 

 

Many cathedrals are overwhelming and awe-inspiring; the Sangrada tends more toward the imaginitive, the fantastical, the joyous, the humorous. Yet the joy is powerfully counter-balanced by the sorrow and suffering in the vignettes of Christ which are very moving.  The cathedral remains unfinished, still under construction after 130 years. I hope I live to see it complete.

 

Another Gaudi-designed treasure is Park Guell, a magical place. Wacky, gorgeous, mosaic-covered fairy-tale houses and viaducts, green space, playgrounds and interesting plants await you. We all loved it.

 

But of all the lovely parks in Barcelona, the boys loved the Parc de Llabarinth the most. As the name suggests, there was a giant hedge-maze in the centre.

 

 

Ken and the boys chased each other around in there for almost an hour.

 

 

Ken sneaking a minute with his book while the boys played some more.

 

Back to the topic of our apartment...

We have been using an agency called Air BnB throughout our adventures. On this site, people rent out their own apartments, houses, or other living spaces. This has been an invaluable discovery. It's better for our boys to have a bit more space than a hotel or B n B, and I like having a kitchen for quick meals if we're tired in the evening, and it's much cheaper than renting out 2 rooms in a hotel. Plus, you get to live like the locals do, in a way.

 

This is Miguel's apartment where we stayed. Isn't it lovely?!

 

I'll tell you more about Barcelona in a couple days!